{"id":86344,"date":"2017-04-05T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-04-05T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=86344"},"modified":"2017-04-07T14:15:50","modified_gmt":"2017-04-07T19:15:50","slug":"palette-gear-for-video-editors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/palette-gear-for-video-editors\/","title":{"rendered":"Hands-On Review: The Palette Gear for Video Editors"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is an\u00a0amazing piece of equipment for photo editors, but will the Palette Gear stand out\u00a0for video editors?<\/h2>\n

The Palette Gear is certainly one of the most talked about panels around<\/strong>, and rightfully so. The modular device not only looks cool, but the build quality is also fantastic. This device just feels good.<\/strong> Powerful magnets for easy connections, well-lit attachments that indicate a\u00a0connection, solid weight \u2014 this is\u00a0not a cheap plastic toy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The Palette Gear was first developed in 2012, and eventually it became\u00a0a successful Kickstarter campaign<\/a>. Now that it is fully available to the public, the controller is finding its way into the hands of many creatives. Photographers and photo editors have resoundingly fallen in love with the Palette Gear<\/strong> for it’s spectacular abilities and speed in Adobe Lightroom. But what about video editors? Can the Palette Gear help speed up your workflow? Let’s take a look at current capabilities, and talk about the device’s strengths and weaknesses<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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The Palette Gear Modules and Kits<\/h3>\n

The Palette Gear is compatible with Mac and Windows. Of all the various modules, the core is the actual brains of the operation.<\/p>\n

\"Hands-On<\/p>\n

The core’s\u00a0USB connection powers all the connected modules, so there is no need for any A\/C power. The core features a color OLED screen that displays the program you are working in, as well as the profile name \u2014 meaning you can create multiple profiles for various tasks or other editors.\u00a0From the core, you can then magnetically attach buttons, dials, and sliders in countless variations<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"Hands-On<\/p>\n

Buttons<\/strong> are single-click arcade-style controls. Like all the other modules, they feature a light up edge \u2014 the color of which you can customize to keep track of what each module does.<\/p>\n

\"Hands-On<\/p>\n

Dials<\/strong> are knob controls that also feature button functionality for additional tasks. These are by far the most powerful tools<\/strong> in the entire set.<\/p>\n

\"Hands-On<\/p>\n

Sliders<\/strong> are simple up-down or left-right controls. They are not mechanical, so they are not as accurate as they could be<\/strong>. More on the sliders later.<\/p>\n

The Palette Gear is available in three different kits<\/strong> \u2014 Starter<\/a>, Expert<\/a>, and Professional<\/a>. The Starter Kit starts at $199 and includes the core, two buttons, a dial, and a slider. The $299 Expert Kit (which this article is reviewing) includes a core, two buttons, three dials, and two sliders. The Professional Kit will set you back $499 and comes with the core, four buttons, six dials, and four sliders.<\/p>\n

\"Hands-On<\/p>\n

Additionally, you can purchase individual modules for additional customization<\/strong>. Buttons are available for $29 each, and dials and sliders will cost you $49 each. In total, the Palette Gear can support up to 18 modules<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"Hands-On<\/p>\n

The modules are incredibly easy to snap together<\/strong>. Simply connect the pins to the pads. They will magnetically snap together. The modules then light up<\/strong> to indicate successful connections. \u00a0If you don’t get a light, turn the module and connect it from another side.<\/p>\n

Setup is equally simple. After installing the PaletteApp<\/strong>, you will see options to create profiles for each of the various programs. The app will display the modules as you\u00a0connect them. Then you simply click on each module and assign a task<\/strong> to each button, dial, and slider.<\/p>\n

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The Palette Gear Supported Programs<\/h3>\n

\"Hands-On<\/p>\n

To date, the Palette Gear supports\u00a0FCPX <\/strong>and\u00a0a majority of Adobe Creative Cloud programs such as Photoshop<\/strong>, Lightroom<\/strong>, and\u00a0After<\/strong> Effects<\/strong>. The Palette is still in Beta for Premiere<\/strong> Pro<\/strong> and Audition<\/b>. You can also configure the Palette Gear to replicate keyboard shortcuts <\/strong>and\u00a0act as a MIDI<\/strong> device. It is currently\u00a0in Beta to work as a modular Joystick<\/strong> for gamers.<\/p>\n

There is also a community dedicated to creating and sharing Palette profiles<\/a>. You can find detailed profiles for Lightroom<\/strong>, like concert photography, basic retouching, temperature control, and more. There are also plenty of keyboard shortcut profiles and custom-mapped programs like Chrome<\/strong> browser hotkeys, Reddit<\/strong> enhancement suite, iTunes<\/strong>, and Spotify<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Update: <\/strong>According to a representative at\u00a0Palette,\u00a0FCPX is still in Beta<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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The Palette Gear Capabilities for Video Editors<\/h3>\n

To put the Palette Gear through the process for video editors, we ran tests on Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Final Cut Pro X<\/strong>. The results were pretty similar in each test. You’ll immediately want to start mapping as much as you can. It’s fun to try and figure out the best setup, and to program the Palette to your liking.<\/p>\n

The Palette Gear shines during\u00a0tasks like color control<\/strong>, which is why it really is great for photo editors. For video editors, most of our repetitive tasks are already keyboard shortcuts. The longer the Palette was on the desk while editing, it became easier to just fall back into using keyboard shortcuts. For video editors, there is no real increase to your editing speed<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

As for color control, if you are a Premiere Pro editor doing color work in the Lumetri panel,<\/strong>\u00a0you can map the Palette Gear to help with the overall color grade<\/strong>. Here is a quick glance from Palette.<\/p>\n